Let's Take the Road Before Us
by Raberba girl
Summary: It's amazing how much can change when you give the Castle Oblivion team a Christmas party and a few extra months to live.


[Let's Take the Road Before Us]

(Companion to _Christmas at the Castle_)

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic series by Raberba girl

Summary: It's amazing how much can change when you give the Castle Oblivion team a Christmas party and a few extra months to live. Series of stories that take place in the CatC universe.

Introduction: Basically, this is the CatC sequel/prequel. It was acting like _Stepsiblings_, so I finally decided to just give up and treat it like _Stepsiblings_. *sweatdrop*

What happened with Stepsibs is that I wrote a collection of six drabbles and posted them as a one-shot, intending that to be the end of it. Well, thanks to Taliax, I started getting inspiration for more stories in that universe, then it kind of exploded and now _Stepsiblings_ is this huge sprawling universe that I will _never finish_ because I keep getting inspiration for it - there will be new Stepsibs stories for as long as I write Kingdom Hearts fanfiction. XD

Well, see, CatC pretty much did the same thing. I wrote a multi-chapter fic, posted it, and that was supposed to be the end. But I kept getting ideas for sequels (and a prequel), and other random ideas that took place in the same universe, and I tried to combine them into one huge fic, but I've gotten too used to drabbles/one-shots and it's difficult for me to write multi-chapters for the time being. If I wait until I can sit down and write out the CatC sequel and prequel as two long chaptered stories...well, I'm very, very afraid that it is literally never going to get done. And in the meantime, there are these old unposted fragments that I keep referring to in posted stories, and I keep getting ideas for the universe and/or people want me to write more stuff in the universe. It was _The Other Half Of My Heart_ that finally decided me: no CatC sequel, no CatC prequel.

Instead, I'mma write a series of one-shots! XD Anything taking place directly in the CatC universe or close enough to where it's only a minor AU will go here. It's all going to be out of order, I'm just going to update in the order I happen to finish them. The timeline starts when Lea & Isa are seven years old (though now that I'm doing this, I won't be surprised if I come up with some stuff from even earlier in their childhoods, too) and ends after KH2 (though, again, I might come up with some stuff even later, too. _Vacation Notice_ in "AkuSaiRokuShi stories," for example, which was written with the CatC universe in mind. XD)

ANYWAY. So yeah. I can't write the CatC sequel/prequel as a long continuous story, it's got to be in bits and pieces like this or else there is a great danger that you will never get to read it. So reading it like this is better than nothing, right...?

**The tone is probably going to be different than CatC's - there will often still be cute fluffy humor, but some parts are a lot more angsty.**

**There's also most likely going to be some actual pairings involved, though I hesitate to specify what they are...incidents in the RuroKen fandom have biased me against specific pairing labels unless the fic was written **_**for**_** a particular pairing. Since this fic was NOT written with pairings in mind and romance is only vaguely on the side, I'm going to leave off the labels. (Anyone who knows me knows that I'm never going to write slash pairings as romance.)**

**Also, I'm kind of afraid that Vanitas will hog the spotlight and become the main character. XD He seems to be important in a lot of the subplots.**

Since the CatC universe has gotten frustratingly sprawling, I've made a list on my LiveJournal of all the stories that take place in it, or even AUs that reference it, regardless of where they were published.

o.o.o

**The Thirteenth Member (rough draft)**

Summary: Roxas actually doesn't remember his FIRST visit to Christmas Town.

o.o.o

"Saïx, just so you know, you are the most boring best friend ever."

"I _told_ you to be quiet."

"Kick me out, then."

Saïx, doing paperwork at his desk, didn't answer or even bother to turn around. Therefore he could not see Axel stick his tongue out at him.

_'Soooo bored.'_ Lounging on Saïx's bed with a PSP, Axel sighed and returned his attention to the game. _'Gotta stop by Twilight Town for something new, I've beat this one a million times already.'_

The seventh portal shimmered, and upon seeing that it was Lord Xemnas, Saïx immediately stood at attention and Axel nearly dropped the video game.

"Number VII," Xemnas said, "Number VIII, there have been some new develoblahblahblah blah blah."

Axel's focus was totally shot as he noticed the kid standing next to Number I. _'Oh my gosh he's so tiny and cute.'_ And was standing there with his head hanging in this chastised puppy way that made Axel want to hug him and coo at him and feed him treats.

"_Axel_," Saïx said sharply.

"Huh?"

"You have been ordered to take charge of our newest member and look after him until he's more...functional," Saïx said, giving the blank-faced, silent kid a dubious look.

"I get to _keep_ hi-!?" Axel cut himself off with a cough. "I mean, _sigh_, fine, if I have to." Then he frowned. "Wait, 'our newest member'? Don't tell me this kid's a Nobody!"

"He is, indeed," Xemnas said. "The Nobody of the Keybearer, in fact."

"Sora?" Saïx said sharply. "He's _Sora's_ Nobody?"

"Oooohhh..." Axel bent to peer into the kid's face, wishing Xemnas would just get lost so the cuddling could commence. "Sora? Soooora?" He waved his hand in front of that blank expression, but the kid didn't even blink. Axel shivered. This was getting a little creepy.

"He has cast off that name along with his old identity," Xemnas said. "You will never speak it in his presence again. Number XIII, tell us what your new name is."

At last, a reaction. Barely. The kid blinked, raised his head a little, and whispered, "Roxas."

"It spoke!" Axel cried. "Oooh, good _boy_! Hang on just a sec, I think I've got some candy you can have."

"Axel, shut up," Saïx growled.

Xemnas was now the one giving them both a dubious look. "...I trust I leave Roxas in good hands?"

"Only the best," Axel said confidently, slinging his arm across the kid's shoulders. He wasn't sure, but he thought Roxas might have tried to pull away a little.

"Very well. You will report to me regularly on his progress. If all goes well, he will be able to assume his duties soon and be of great use to us."

"Man, who cares how useful he is? He could be worse than Demyx and I _swear_ those big blue eyes would totally make up for it."

"What?"

"Nothing," Saïx said quickly, trying to glare a hole through his old friend. Axel was completely preoccupied by the little Nobody and didn't even notice. "We will not fail you, Lord Xemnas."

As soon as Number I was gone, Axel twirled in a little dance of squee. "_Yes_! Just _look_ at him, Saïx! And he's all ours!"

"Axel, I hope you realize that you sound entirely different when you act like this over a young boy than you did back when it was just stray dogs and cats."

"But he's _so cute_! Look!" Axel swept behind Roxas, picked up the boy's hands, and curled them under Roxas's chin in a simpering pose, forcing the hanging head to be lifted at an endearing angle. "My name ish Woksas," Axel baby-talked. "Pwease be nice to me and take me home."

Saïx watched the boy's brow furrow a little in discontent, rendering the rest of the cutesy pose completely ridiculous. Not that it wasn't already. "Axel, _stop that_. He seems to have lost most of his brain as well as his heart, which means he can't defend himself from your antics." Saïx was well enough acquainted with the feeling, even _with_ full mental capacities. "If you're going to treat him like a doll, at least do something with him that's of service to the Organization, don't just waste time."

"How can you call _this_ a waste of time?!" Axel exclaimed, waving Roxas's hands in the air.

The boy's expression could now be described as an unfocused but definite frown. "...Stop."

They both stared at him. Then Axel wrapped both sets of arms around Roxas, shrieking, "He's so _cute_!"

"Axel," Saïx sighed, "stop playing with him and get serious. Lord Xemnas gave us orders - gave _you_ orders. This is a golden opportunity, having such control over the Nobody of the Keybearer himself. If we play our cards right- Are you listening to me?"

Of course he wasn't. "Aaaxeeeel," Axel was saying, staring intently into the boy's face. "C'mon, Roxas, you can say it! _A-ku-se-ru_! C'mon, boy!"

Roxas's fingers twitched. Then he slowly reached up and pressed both hands over Axel's mouth, pushing him away.

A few years ago, Saïx would have stifled a snort of laughter, but he had given up bothering to feign such useless emotions by now. "Sora must have been a lot more intelligent than we gave him credit for. He only has a few brain cells left, and he still can't stand you."

"Isa! You've come back to me!"

Saïx blinked. Come to think of it, it _had_ been a while since he'd come out with one of those bantering insults... Absently laying a hand over his chest, he said, "Stop getting so distracted, it's not like you." Not like Axel, he meant. Lea had often been a hyperactive mess. What was it about this blank young Nobody that suddenly got them acting like...? "We need to make some plans."

"No, we need to figure out what's wrong with Zombie Boy here." Axel pushed Roxas until he was sitting on the bed and then waved a hand in front of his face. "Yoo hoo, Roxas! _Roxas_!"

"Roxas," the boy repeated dully.

"Good job. Now, pay attention: me, Axel. Acks-el. _A-ku-se-ru_. C'mon. You, Roxas, me, Axel; grouchyface over there, Saïx. Sigh-axe. _Sa-i-ku-su_."

Roxas shut his eyes, as if it was the only way he could think of to escape.

"Saiiiiiiix, what's wrong with him?" Axel whined.

Saïx came over and leaned to peer into the boy's face as well. "Keep in mind that he _is_ a newborn Nobody. Though I don't recall ever being this...dysfunctional. Still, the process would have been traumatic enough, it's not surprising that he seems to have gone into shock."

Axel's expression changed, and he reached out to cup Roxas's face in one hand. "Poor kid," he said softly. "Doesn't look any older than we were back when we were changed. Wonder what could've happened for him to get consumed by darkness like this..."

"You would think the Hero of Light would naturally be able to avoid such a fate," Saïx mused. Then he frowned. "Why bring him here, though? And as a member, no less, rather than a captive?"

Axel laughed. "You think when he starts remembering stuff, he'll go all Keyblade Hero on our butts?"

"He'd never win," Saïx said flatly, "not against all twelve of us."

"I dunno, Sai, I've never seen a single story where the bad guys win..."

"Who says we're villains?" Saïx said sharply. "Just because this boy is a 'hero' doesn't mean that all who oppose him are automatically in the wrong. And anyway, we're beings of nothing, not darkness." Axel looked away, not answering. "In any case, Lord Xemnas must know what he's doing. It's fortunate that you've," he gave his friend a pointed look, "_somehow_ managed to convince him that you're trustworthy enough for an assignment like this."

"Man, this isn't an _assignment_, this is fun. Come help me play dress-up."

"That's your job. I'm going to see if I can find out more about how the Keybearer ended up like this."

"It's your own fault you're missing out!" Axel called as Saïx disappeared into a dark corridor. Then he looked back at Roxas, who was still looking at nothing.

"So, buddy, I guess the first thing you need is a uniform, huh?"

In the kitchen, the Moogle was making a sandwich, pom-pom bobbing as it floated around fetching ingredients.

"Oi, Gloomex," Axel said. The creature had never told anyone its name, but they had to call it _something_, right? In any case, it had never objected. "Any chance you got a coat I can buy for my new buddy here?"

Gloomex surveyed the blank-faced boy with an inscrutable expression. "This child is a Nobody, kupo?"

"The Organization's newest," Axel confirmed. "Number XIII. Tell him your name, kid."

"..."

"Say 'Roxas,'" Axel prompted.

"...Roxas."

"Good boy!"

"Good." Roxas swayed uncertainly.

"Good. Yeah." Axel set a hand on Roxas's head to steady him, half-afraid he'd topple over otherwise. "Yeah, his name's Roxas. And he needs a coat, it looks like Xemnas might've dragged him through a corridor without one." First to have your heart ripped out of you and then have to endure the gnawing darkness with no protection...no wonder the kid was a zombie.

"I'm afraid I don't keep that sort of item in stock, kupo."

"Then where'd Larxene and Marluxia and everyone get their coats?" He and Saïx and the former apprentices had had theirs ready-made in the Garden's castle, with Vexen and Zexion doing alterations throughout the years.

"I'm afraid I don't know, kupo. I'm merely a synthesizer."

"Okay. Well, thanks." _You useless Moogle._ "Come on, Roxas."

They went back up to the Proof of Existence - on foot, since he couldn't take poor Roxas through a corridor yet - and into the twelfth portal. "Hey, Larxene, I was wondering-"

"GET OUT OF MY ROOM!"

Axel seized Roxas in his arms and dove to the floor as a handful of knives were unleashed at their faces. "Okay okay okay okay I'm going I'm going I'm going I'm going!" Axel climbed to his feet in the Proof of Existence, dragging up Roxas by one arm. "Sheesh."

He knocked politely at the eleventh portal this time. A couple of Marluxia's Nobody servants showed up. "Hi! Don't kill us. We have a question for Mr. Graceful Assassin."

Marluxia's room was hot, humid, and verdant. "It looks like a greenhouse in here," Axel remarked, pulling his zipper down a bit and yanking the leather away from his neck.

"Only because our brilliant leader refused to let me grow living things in the Chamber Where Nothing Dwells," Marluxia grumbled from where he was feeding bits of bacon to a plant with spines like teeth. "What do you want?"

Axel gestured in an introductory sort of way. "Marluxia, this is Number XIII. Number XIII, this is Number XI, Marluxia. Number XIII, say your name, because you said it for Xemnas so I _know_ you can say it for me."

The kid blinked uncertainly.

"His name is Roxas, but we like to call him Zombie," Axel told Marluxia. "Anyway, he needs a coat, and I've been instructed to give him one without being told where to _find_ one. Where'd you and Larxene get your coats from when you joined? Is there a Wardrobe of Lightless Garments or something I never knew about?"

"How should I know? Zexion just handed me a stack of them when I was initiated."

"I'm sensing a theme here," Axel grumbled. "All right, fine, thanks. I'll go see who Zexion wants to pass us on to. C'mon, Zombie."

Zexion was in the library, curled up in a corner of one couch with whole _stacks_ of books at his feet, on the floor, and on the coffee table nearby. Although there wasn't a trace of a smile in the Cloaked Schemer's expression, in fact he was frowning slightly, Axel still got the distinct impression of a small child wallowing in a toy store.

"Oi, Zexion."

The younger man glanced up wordlessly.

"Either tell me how to get an XXXS coat, or point me to the next clue in our treasure hunt."

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're babbling about."

"A _coat_, Zexion," Axel said in exasperation. "A small one, for my new friend here. He's Number XIII."

"Thirteen," Roxas burst out suddenly. Axel looked at him, but then the boy dropped his head and went undead again.

"...I see," Zexion murmured as he surveyed the boy. He closed his book and stood up. "The old coats I used when we first formed the Organization should still be around somewhere, let me see if I can find them."

"Oh yeah," Axel laughed, "I forgot that you used to be itty bitty, too." He paused. "Actually, you still are."

Zexion glared. "Do you want my help, or not?"

"Sorry! Lead on."

The old Ienzo-sized coats were roughly the right fit, but would definitely need altering before Roxas could wear them properly. With Zexion's help, Axel got Roxas's jacket off and his arms stuffed into the coat sleeves, pinning the front closed as best they could as Roxas shoved at them with more strength than would be expected from a zombie.

"Think he can make it to Halloween Town like that?" Axel asked.

"Why Halloween Town?"

"Christmas Town, actually. There's a shop there that does alterations - no offense, if you could even take offense, but I trust them for the job more than you and Dr. Cryptkeeper."

"Hmph. We did a good enough job with your uniforms when you started losing weight, didn't we?"

"As if I asked you to! Sai noticed, and it's been years now and he _still won't leave me alone_ about the food thing, it's annoying."

"If you can even be annoyed," Zexion quipped dryly. "In any case, we would be interested to know how much damage a Nobody would sustain when passing through dark corridors with only partial protection." He dug up some sort of small device and pinned it to the front of Roxas's coat. "Don't remove that while in transition, it will be collecting data."

"Aye aye, captain."

Roxas didn't like the dark corridor. He wouldn't approach the portal and Axel had to literally drag him into it; then he clung to Axel and made distressed sounds once they were inside.

"Rox, come on. The sooner we get moving, the sooner we'll get to Christmas Town and you'll-"

Roxas, now silent, had fallen to his knees.

"Roxas!" Axel ended up having to carry him. "Yeah, I can tell you're gonna be a really productive addition to our ranks..."

"Cold," Roxas whispered. "Hurts."

Axel walked faster.

Well, Christmas Town was not the best place to take someone who was cold - Axel shivered in the frosty air and tried to call on some extra warmth from his powers. Still slumped on his back, Roxas made a faint "Mm" sound.

"Just hold on, buddy, let me find somewhere to take you where we can rest and warm up a bit..."

There was a restaurant near the town square which had a little lounge in addition to the regular seating for diners. It was a cozy area by a fireplace, lined with comfortable-looking easy chairs and sofas. "Perfect." Axel walked in, straight past the elf who greeted him at the front, and carefully laid Roxas down.

"What happened to him?" the elf exclaimed as she came hurrying up.

"He's...travelsick. He'll be all right in a minute."

"Oh, the poor thing! Here, let me bring him a peppermint drink, that should put some color back in his cheeks."

"Thanks. Hey, is that hat of yours for sale?" Axel knew from experience that Christmasers did not get along well with their Halloween neighbors. Shrouded neck to toe in black, and with his facial markings, he'd need at least a token of festive spirit in order to avoid being looked on with suspicion and hostility.

The elf surveyed him and his attire. "For you, yes."

After a few minutes of basking by the fire and idly coaxing peppermint down the kid's throat, Axel glanced back over and found Roxas's eyes open, gazing blankly at the ceiling. "Hey, Rox. You feeling better?"

"Thirteen," Roxas declared to the ceiling.

"Back to zombieing, I see. Good." He chuckled. "I guess."

There was only one bored-looking young elf on duty at Boughs of Holly. She immediately perked up when she saw two attractive males walking into the shop. "Whoo! Customers!"

"Customer," Axel corrected. "My Little Zombie here's the one you-"

"He's a _zombie_?!"

"Zombie thirteen," Roxas remarked.

"Not literally," Axel said hastily. "See, look, his ears don't fall off when you pull on them."

After the practical demonstration, Roxas frowned, covered his ears protectively, and kicked Axel's leg.

"Ow!"

The elf girl giggled. "Are you two brothers?"

"Uh...sure."

"Brothers," Roxas echoed.

"That's right. My brother here needs some alterations done."

"Alterations, I can do alterations," she said eagerly, coming over with a tape measure and her toolkit. "Heh, Mom would kill me for saying it, but your brother actually looks really good in black."

"He'd look better without the sleeves sagging and his zipper actually being able to zip and stuff..."

"Yup."

Roxas didn't like being undressed in Christmas Town any more than he'd liked it at the castle. It was a struggle to unpin the coat and get it off; Axel had to hold him down long enough for Berry (the elf) to take Roxas's measurements, and then the boy went off to sulk in a corner as soon as he was released.

"Isn't he cold in just his underthings?" she asked worriedly.

"He'll probably try to eat my brains if I go over there. Just leave him."

Roxas, seeming to be gazing outside, lifted his hand and touched a fingertip to the cold glass. It left a round imprint. He tried to touch it again, but was a little off. The combined marks now resembled a heart. He stared at them for a long time.

"How long is this gonna take?" Axel asked.

When the alterations on the first coat were done, getting Roxas to try it on was like trying to capture a suspicious cat. Axel and Berry chased him all around the shop, and finally caught him by coming at him from opposite sides and trapping him in a corner. "Quick! I'll hold him, you get the coat!"

Berry giggled as they threaded the protesting Roxas's arms through the long black sleeves. "He's so cute!"

"I know, right?" Axel laughed, his exasperated expression dissolving. "How come you're the only person who agrees with me?!"

"Don't like you," Roxas declared, struggling.

"Dislike all you want," Berry said, kissing his nose as she got the front zipped up. "You're still adorable."

"Much better," Axel said, surveying the coat in satisfaction. "He looks like a proper Nobody now instead of a bad cosplayer."

"I can't tell if you just insulted him, complimented me, did both at the same time, or vice versa," Berry said in confusion.

Axel laughed. "You did a great job, Miss Holly," he assured her.

After leaving the rest of the coats to be altered and picked up later, Axel fed Roxas hot chocolate until the kid forgot to keep sulking, then they headed back out to RTC. "Hood up, little buddy," Axel said as he covered Roxas's head and opened a dark portal. Roxas refused to get near it again and threw snow at him when Axel dragged him toward it, but once they were inside the corridor, Roxas, though shivering a little, displayed none of his previous theatrics.

"See? Not so bad when you've got a coat that fits."

Roxas grasped Axel's sleeve, rested his hooded forehead against Axel's arm, and mumbled, "Don't like it here."

"Well...me, neither, actually. But we gotta get back to the castle, you know? Can't exactly take up permanent residence in Christmas Town..." Though that _would_ be a cool idea, now that he thought of it. "C'mon, kid. Let's go home."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: I found out from TVtropes that "Gloomex" is apparently a fan name for the Days Moogle. I think it's hilarious, so I added it to my headcanon.

My Axel squees over Roxas too much...channeling me, I think. *sweatdrop*

This story was originally meant to be chapter 1 of the CatC sequel. XD This whole thing was very easy to write (I actually drafted it a LONG time ago, like back at the beginning of 2012), but then as soon as I got to the penultimate line of this, the story flow stopped. It was kind of a relief when I was able to add on a conclusion line and post the thing as a one-shot. ^^;

So yeah, I'll be occasionally updating this series with various one-shots in the same universe, and it'll probably never be "completed" until I stop writing KH fanfiction altogether - there's storylines with the Days trio, with Sora, Donald, & Goofy, with Vanitas and Naminé, with the heroes post-KH2, etc.; there's a _lot_. I just didn't think I'd be able to write it all as a single continuous story without pretty much dedicating my entire life to it. *sweatdrop*


End file.
